Pellet and biomass heat allow you to supplement your current home heating or to heat your home off the grid altogether.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released its
Winter Fuels Outlook, which offers year-to-year projections of the costs
U.S. consumers will face to heat their homes.

The federal agency predicts that this winter won’t be as mild in many parts of the US as last year’s, resulting in heavier use of home heating systems.

“EIA expects higher average fuel bills this winter
in states east of the Rocky Mountains,” the fuels outlook noted. “A
return to a near-normal winter is the main driver of higher
expenditures.”

In the Midwest, the Energy Information Administration predicts that
prices for natural gas and propane will be up slightly compared to last
year. Heating oil’s price trend is expected to make a sharper climb from
last year than the other fuels.

But when consumption levels are factored in along with raw fuel
prices, overall bills for all heating types are expected to move upward
from last year’s.

In Northwest Michigan, the cash price for heating oil stood at $4.19 per gallon, up 43 cents from a year ago.

Heating oil is expected to move upward in cost in the months ahead.
But like other products that incorporate crude oil as their primary
ingredient, marketplace conditions can cause sharp price variations.